Tampa Attractions

Big Cat Rescue is a wildlife sanctuary for abused and abandoned big cats. It is a non profit organization that is home to hundreds of animals which include Geoffroy Cats, Jungle Cats, Clouded Leopard, Tigers, Servals, Caracals, Snow Leopards, Bobcats, and Lynx.

The facility offers guided tours only. You cannot wander the grounds freely like in a zoo setting. Nonetheless, this is a popular outing and worth taking the tour. If you are visiting with a child under the age of 10 you must take the "Kids Tour" which is only available on weekends. Children in this age group are not allowed on the regular "Day Tour".

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Exhibits at the Children's Museum of Tampa include Under the Sea for children 4 and under, as well as exhibit buildings such as a fire house, fast food restaurant, bank, travel agency and library.

Located in Ybor city, the Columbia Restaurant is the state's oldest and the nation's largest Spanish restaurant. This historic institution was established in 1905, by Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernández, Sr. He opened a small corner cafe that now seats more than 1,600 people. There are several individual dining areas within the facility, including the original cafe which seas 60 people.

The Columbia is famous for its Spanish cuisine, dinner shows, and old-world architectural charm. Most nights there is a flamenco dance show. It also features Jazz in the cafe on some evenings.

The David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, which was formerly called the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, is a 300,000 square-foot theatrical hall featuring five unique theaters for musical performances, dance, opera, theatrical and television productions, awards programs, pageants, conventions and meetings. The show piece is the Carol Morsani Hall, which can seat more than 2,600 people.

The Center is home to Opera Tampa, with a full season of performances.

The three-story Florida Aquarium explores Floridian ecosystems and aquatic environments. There are a number of exhibits and galleries including one on Florida's wetlands and swamp regions, a bays and beaches gallery, and a coral reef display with a multitude of tropical fish and marine life. There is a wide variety of aquatic life on display, from sharks and dolphins to river otters. Divers at the Florida Aquarium give daily educational presentations from within the tanks via an intercom system.

Families particularly enjoy the touch tank and the outdoor water adventure zone for kids.

Hyde Park, between Swann Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard, is Tampa's best preserved old residential district, with many Victorian buildings. In Old Hyde Park Village are fashionable boutiques, galleries and elegant restaurants.

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Opened in 1991 after acquiring the Barnett-Aden collection, this museum displays examples of African-American art dating from the early 19th century to the Harlem Renaissance and beyond. It contains works by such artists as Henry O. Tanner, Romare Bearden, Edward Bannister, Elizabeth Catlett and Jacob Lawrence. Most pieces deal with the Black experience in the U.S. but are painted by artists from a number of different cultures.

The Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa is a large, 254,000-square foot museum with a variety of interactive and multimedia exhibits. The displays feature such topics as electricity, the human body, flight, space exploration, hurricanes, ecology, and others. Saunders Planetarium presents daily shows and the museum also contains an IMAX domed-theatre with a 10,500 square foot screen. There are plenty of things here to entertain children. The Children's Science Center is specifically designed for children 12 and under.

For those looking to get outside, the museum also features several outdoor exhibits, such as a butterfly garden, the T. Bowers Historic Tree Grove, and Backwoods Forest Preserve.

THIS FACILITY IS NOW CLOSED PERMANENTLY.

On the eastern outskirts of the city, beyond I 4, is the Seminole Cultural Center, which illustrates the history and culture of the Seminoles. In the Seminole village associated with the Center, with the typical chickees (open living huts), Indian craft skills are demonstrated.

The exhibits at the Tampa Bay History Center trace the rich history of the Tampa Bay area going back 12,000 years. Early inhabitants of the region such as the Seminoles, the multicultural influences of the last five centuries, the railroad and shipping era, and regional geography are highlights of the Tampa Bay History Center. In addition to the permanent collection the center features a temporary gallery with changing exhibits.

This is a 60,000 sq ft facility with a glass front, located in the Channelside District.

The Tampa Museum of Art, having outgrown its former home, moved to its new location in 2010. This uniquely designed building, a showpiece in itself, won the American Architecture Award.

The museum features 20th C and contemporary art, and a large assortment of Greek and Roman antiquities. Collections include paintings, sculptures, photography, and works on paper. The museum continues to expand its collection through new acquisitions. Tampa Museum of Art also hosts a number of traveling exhibits throughout the year.

Classes, lectures, seminars, and children's activities complement the exhibitions.

Built in 1926, the Tampa Theatre is a luxurious movie palace featuring a unique mix of architectural styles including Italian Renaissance, Byzantine and Greek Revival. It presents foreign and classic films regularly along with specialty concerts and other programs.

While you can see both new and old films here, watching one of the classics in this building is a great way to feel like you've stepped back to another time period.

The campus of University of South Florida features a contemporary art museum and botanical gardens. The university covers 1,695 acres in NE Tampa.

The Ybor City State Museum is housed in the 1923 Ferlita Bakery building in Ybor City, and also includes a furnished casita next door, which would have been the typical home of an average worker at the cigar factory. The museum shows how the area changed from a deserted swamp to the center of Tampa's thriving cigar manufacturing industry.

The museum explores the heritage of this unique Latin and multicultural neighborhood, the cigar trade and the history of the site. A narrated audio tour can be downloaded so visitors can explore Ybor City at their own pace.

Also of interest is a lovely Mediterranean style garden, maintained by the museum.

Indian Rocks Beach is a resort community near Sand Key, off the Pinellas County coast. Sandy beaches and convenient proximity to many attractions including Busch Gardens, Walt Disney World, Universal Studio, and Sea World make the town a popular option.

In 1905, Largo was incorporated with 291 people and covering an area of 1 sq. mile. It is bordered on three sides by water - the Gulf of Mexico is on the south and west sides, and Tampa Bay on the east.

Madeira Beach is joined to the mainland by a free causeway near St. Petersburg. Swimming, parasailing, personal watercraft rentals and fishing are available in and around Madeira Beach.

Hubbard's Sea Adventures include narrated sightseeing trips, dolphin watching, aboard a catamaran, as well as wildlife watching and deep-sea fishing.

Plant City was named after the railroad magnate, Henry B. Plant. It is well known as the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.

The Pioneer/Heritage Museums have several exhibits with period themes that include clothing and furnishings.

Dinosaur World features more than 100 life-size fiberglass models of dinosaurs are on display in a tropical setting. Many hands-on exhibits allow visitors to examine fossils, and learn about why dinosaur remains are not found in Florida.